Debra King leaving Brighter Sound after 15 years

After over a decade and a half in post, our Director Debra King is moving on.

Debra says:

“After 15 years I have decided to stand down as Director of Brighter Sound to pursue a freelance career and a more flexible lifestyle. I am both excited about the next chapter of my life and sad to be leaving.

Over the years I’m proud to have led such a creative team who are passionate about supporting young and emerging talent and are so committed to a fair and inclusive music sector. 

I feel privileged to have been part of so many groundbreaking projects, worked with so many generous partners, and witnessed the extraordinary creativity of so many young people, artists and independents.

Brighter Sound is a company that always surprises, often challenges and truly cares. I wish them all the best for the future and I can’t wait to see what the next chapter holds.”

Debra joined Brighter Sound in 2008 when we were known as Greater Manchester Music Action Zone (GMMAZ) and worked primarily with children and young people.

Since then Debra has shaped Brighter Sound into the organisation it is today, expanding the breadth of our work to include support for emerging artists and music sector professionals. As we grew, Debra made sure that equality of opportunity and nurturing individual growth remained at the heart of our mission. 

In recent years her inclusive approach has also been clear in her work with Manchester Music City and the Music Cities Network, where she’s built international relationships to support the city’s vibrant and diverse music sector. 

Dr Virginia Tandy OBE, Chair of Trustees, says:

“On behalf of all of the Trustees at Brighter Sound, past and present, I would like to thank Debra for her tireless and visionary work over the last 15 years. 

With her democratic leadership style, she has supported Brighter Sound to facilitate experiences that have transformed the lives of countless young people, emerging artists and music professionals, opening up opportunities through a commitment to equity in music. Working closely with her team, Debra has connected the organisation, and those it works with, to inspirational and established artists locally and internationally.

As the Chair of Trustees, I can see that Debra’s legacy is a strong staff team with a powerful set of values and a clear agenda. With recently acquired Arts Council NPO status and significant fundraising successes to date, she leaves the organisation in a great place for the future. The trustees of Brighter Sound wish Debra all the best for the future.”

Everyone at Brighter Sound is so grateful for Debra’s inspirational leadership. We'll miss her hugely and wish her lots of luck in her next steps.